Four independent state agencies have received broadband mapping grants from …

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Broadband stimulus money watchers and recovery plan tea leaf readers are cheering news of the first winners of the Department of Commerce's grants program for broadband mapping projects. They're pleased that the recipients are independent state agencies rather than groups affiliated with the telco/cable-backed non-profit Connected Nation. "We hope that trend continues," Connected's outspoken critic Art Brodsky at Public Knowledge told us. Other observers think that it will.

The biggest grant winner so far is the California Public Utilities Commission, which received two of the five grants: one for about $1.8 million and another $500,000 to map out broadband use across the state. Indiana's Office of Technology, North Carolina's Rural Economic Development Center, and Vermont's Center for Geographic Information received between $1.2 and $1.6 million in stimulus money.

These sums all go towards the final goal outlined in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: the development of a broadband inventory map "accessible by the public on a World Wide Web site of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration in a form that is interactive and searchable." The NTIA is the spectrum and telecommunications grant management division of the Commerce Department. The agency predicts that it will distribute about $100 million in funds for this job.

Go straight to the people

What made these applications stand out to the NTIA's Grand Army of Broadband Stimulus Grant Application Processors (many of whom are probably volunteers)? The applicants handed in "well-formed proposals" that were "fiscally prudent" and could serve "as a model for others," explained NTIA boss Larry Strickling in his press release. But that's sort of a "duh"—the minimum that any government program should expect.

More tellingly, NTIA praised these proposals for three additional qualities. Significantly, while the applicants plan to collect broadband use data from ISPs, "each also described plans to collect or utilize data from other sources," the agency explained. "Examples include wireless propagation models, speed tests, online and field surveys, and drive testing." They also pledged to use a variety of verification methods to test the accuracy of their data, and work with an array of state agencies to get the job done.

All this was music to the ears of peripatetic broadband stimulus grant consultant, watcher, and blogger Craig Settles, who quickly offered up his own interpretation of these early stimulus awards. They thwart the "conventional wisdom" served up by the telcos and cable companies, Settles writes, "that you can’t get good broadband mapping data unless service providers (incumbents) give it to you. And because incumbents don't want to give you the data you need, this mapping process has to be tedious, expensive and nearly void of independent verification."

Au contraire, Settles argues, NTIA has set an independent standard for broadband mapping with these grants. And that standard says you've got to go beyond relying on the big service providers and poll for broadband use information directly from consumers via telephone and in-field work. "You cannot collect more accurate data than when you go straight to the people who do or don't have broadband," he contends.

In order to protect the integrity

Hovering over this discussion, of course, is the question of whether the task of national broadband mapping will be dominated by the Connected Nation group or by a consortium of NTIA-funded state entities that go out and dig up their own mapping content. Connected's detractors warn that its strategy "is to accept public funds for collecting information from its sponsors which is then kept largely private, hidden behind strict non-disclosure agreements. This privatized data gathered with public money is a violation of the public trust."

Connected defends its reliance on confidential arrangements with providers, arguing that it limits its non-disclosure data to "highly sensitive network infrastructure information," which it protects "in order to protect the physical integrity of the backbone of the United States' communications system—an issue of homeland security." The group also says it wants to defend the "proprietary infrastructure and equipment information" of providers.

Needless to say, it's pretty early in the game to predict where NTIA will actually go with this next. The agency still has a slew of bids to process, and Connected and its affiliates have eligible applications in Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

Then there are a host of stimulus grants in other categories to be awarded by NTIA and the Department of Agriculture. These include grants for middle mile projects, public computer centers, and "sustainable broadband adoption" projects—essentially educational programs to stimulate broadband demand. Applications for the first round for this money are in, and both agencies will start announcing the awards in early November, they pledge. Two more rounds to go after that before the $7.2 billion in broadband stimulus money is spent.

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Matthew Lasar
Matt writes for Ars Technica about media/technology history, intellectual property, the FCC, or the Internet in general. He teaches United States history and politics at the University of California at Santa Cruz. Emailmatthew.lasar@arstechnica.com//Twitter@matthewlasar

Originally posted by MechEngineer:"An issue of homeland security". Thats ridiculous, if it were an issue then the actual Homeland Security department would be involved.

Better yet, if this infrastructure is so mission critical, maybe it's time we start treating broadband access to the Internet like we do telephone access to those who can't afford it (as a necessity and certain aspects provided freely - aka 911, 411, and operator service). This statement also makes the ISP's reasons for choosing QoS for you (as well as what apps they'd like to block) seem even more dubious.

Au contraire, Settles argues, NTIA has set an independent standard for broadband mapping with these grants. And that standard says you've got to go beyond relying on the big service providers and poll for broadband use information directly from consumers via telephone and in-field work. "You cannot collect more accurate data than when you go straight to the people who do or don't have broadband," he contends.

With the census coming up I wonder if broadband is going to be one of the questions?

quote:

Connected defends its reliance on confidential arrangements with providers, arguing that it limits its non-disclosure data to "highly sensitive network infrastructure information," which it protects "in order to protect the physical integrity of the backbone of the United States' communications system—an issue of homeland security." The group also says it wants to defend the "proprietary infrastructure and equipment information" of providers.

Cyberwarfare anyone?

quote:

Needless to say, it's pretty early in the game to predict where NTIA will actually go with this next. The agency still has a slew of bids to process, and Connected and its affiliates have eligible applications in Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

Notice Kentucky isn't part of this even though they have their own broadband plan.

I was wondering how far the rhetoric could go before 'homeland security' would get trotted out as an excuse for industry secrecy. Obviously, it didn't take long.

Note to telecom spokespeople: Children have been known to use the Internet. The next time anyone threatens your livelihood (aka "guaranteed 'performance' bonuses for the executives"), appeal to the general public that the children might suffer from their plans, and ask if anyone will think of them. It works for flashing boobies on the TeeVee.

Connected defends its reliance on confidential arrangements with providers, arguing that it limits its non-disclosure data to "highly sensitive network infrastructure information," which it protects "in order to protect the physical integrity of the backbone of the United States' communications system—an issue of homeland security." The group also says it wants to defend the "proprietary infrastructure and equipment information" of providers.

Kids, roll out that spreader. we have a big new load of manure here just waiting to be used. Free. Yes, that's right Free. That's what they're handing out. A big smelly load of bull pucky.